Kids’ familiarity with technology is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they are able to easily learn and adapt to the tools and systems that make today’s world go round. On the other hand, they’re also more easily exposed to addictive behavior when using smartphones and tablets at the expense of learning some of the essential skills that would help them later on. As with anything in life, there needs to be some balance, especially at that early age, between digital and physical experiences. Physical and tactile toys can give learning a massive boost in more ways than one, and the Clixo Designer Pack building toy offers a novel way to accomplish that, with a pinch of sustainability thrown in the mix.
Designer: Assaf Eshet (Clixo)
When people hear “building toy,” most probably will think of the LEGO system. It is, by far, the most popular kind of toy that lets your imagination go wild, building anything from recreations of historical landmarks to robots. LEGO has also been used as the foundation for many scientific and technological learning systems for kids, but it’s definitely not the only kind of fun learning experience in town.
Clixo has made a new building toy system that offers more challenges to the mind with even more impressive results compared to stacking blocks together. Instead of just forcing a form to appear by combining rectangular blocks, this tactile toy requires a bit more outside-the-box thinking and creativity to create shapes that resemble objects, animals, and anything in between. Rather than starting with the end result in mind, the toy encourages some exploration and experimentation to create different kinds of shapes, even those that don’t have any counterparts in the real world.
The secret to Clixo is the strong magnets at the ends of the X-shaped pieces that you can connect to other pieces whichever way you want. The pieces themselves are flexible, so they can be bent and curved to the desired shape. That also means they can be laid flat and stored away neatly when not in use or simply stacked up together to quickly clean up. Kids don’t have to force pieces together and are not at risk of getting their skin pinched in the process.
The new Designer Pack brings those learning and inspiring benefits to kids at heart and adults. Opting for more earthy and muted colors, this new version focus on trying to massage one’s brain into creating solutions. It’s the perfect way to take a break from current problems by giving your mind the freedom to explore. You might even find the solution to your work problem by creating some fantastic piece of art from Clixo.
Unlike the millions of mass-produced LEGO bricks, Clixo is made from recyclable and durable synthetic paper. Even the packaging is made from recycled bamboo and is sustainably manufactured. It’s the perfect introduction to sustainability for kids, showing how their long-lasting and fun new toy not only helps them learn but also helps protect their future.
